Dogs On Vacation

Well, this week I am still thinking vacation, but with a little different slant.  Last week, I was refreshed, ready to conquer the world again.  Breaks will have that effect on us.  Breaks from the dole-drum of daily life.  Off to beautiful surroundings, beaches and great food.  But, this week I am back to reality.

It seems that while I was on vacation, so were my dogs.  Family vacation means all dogs are in need of watching, since we are all gone at the same time.  Watching means, my grand-dog comes to visit his aunt and uncle at my house.  This is not an unusual event, as they see each other at least once a week.  They are frisky, and play well together, and are relativity well mannered.  A nice fence keeps them in the yard and a doggie door allows them mobility in a big fenced yard.  They “have it made” and enjoy the weekly visits together.  But, my mild mannered doggies took on a different personality while I was gone.

It started early on the day of departure, when I pulled out the luggage and started packing.  My dogs would not leave my side.  They knew what was happening and that I would be gone for a few days.  It was sad watching them sadly follow me around.  I tried to reassure them of my love, as we wondered through the house, collecting items to take on my much needed vacation. 

We packed the car and grand-dog arrived.  We lovingly said goodbye to the dogs and started to pull out of the driveway, only to see two of the dogs leap over the fence and into our path.  They wanted to go with us.  Needless to say, we stopped and put them in the house…doggie door down…the first time-out!  The sitter let them out later, only to have them jump the fence again, going straight to the road.  Ugh oh… second time-out, with doggie door down.  Now the trust was gone and the sitter started letting them in and out as needed… no doggie door.  They were apparently unhappy, thus they acted out.  I have a beautiful sectional couch that was the target of their frustration. 

Oh, it was ugly, one section was without foam.  The floor looked like a tornado had passed through and scattered foam everywhere.  The section was without leather and the dogs were evidently vindicated, as they calmed down for the remainder of the week.  I saw the pictures while in my serene place at the beach.  I was just glad to be serene, when hit with the news.  I did not freak out.  I just thought back to a much earlier vacation, with a different dog, that resulted in my father-in-law taking my dog hunting with him… which led to a hole in the ground with a skunk… and us opening the door to a house filled with skunk perfume.  The bed was saturated with the scent.  It was a tomato juice night!  One that I will never forget.  At least this time there was not a skunk! I must admit that a couch is nothing compared to a house full of skunk. I suppose that what they say is right-time has mellowed me and I have learned that a couch is just a couch. Now a house full of skunk, that is an entirely different matter!

Source: K.P. Guessen